Strength 267 Aragorn, RotN

[NappyKorn]

I have had a deck built for awhile now based on the idea to play Aragorn, RotN and not only have him survive when he takes on several minions, but possible overwhelm them all to set up a double move. Up until now I had only played it on GccG and had to calculate his strength in my head. With Gemp actually calculating strength for you I had to get a more accurate number on just how strong I could get him in game.

I had mention the deck to a few players during there game and one offered to test the deck with me just to see it for himself. Aragorn isn't the center piece of the deck so I only run 1 copy in it, but it is funny to play around with him if you get him early game. Aragorn can easily be replaced by any other companion you like that get rewarded for winning skirmishs but with RotN being able to take on multiple minions with just his own text seemed the best fit.

Here is the link, I got Aragorn late game so it doesnt happen until site 8 and I also had to discard Anduril earlier in the game so he can be 3 strength more if you have that as well. Enjoy.

http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=nappykorn$ejdc4vzgzv3senz4

[ket_the_jet]

Sorry the image is so small. It's the maximum that the site would host. But here's the strength 264 Aragorn, in all his glory.
-wtk

Edit: But with a Flaming Brand and a Ranger's Sword, Blade of Aragorn, he'd be strength 269 [he's fighting Uruk-Hai in this battle]. Pretty good stuff!

[Grond]

Also you dont need to make full cycle of boromir/merry healing. You need to make the math how much times you need to pump merry and boromir, because equality is not the base.

[NappyKorn]

This game was just to show off the idea, I made several mistakes during this game that would have costed me, but we were just playing to get Aragorn to max strength. Had I played it better I wouldnt have given him his 2nd token on Attack on Helm's Deep negating his site he controlled and I would have doubled past the 2nd sanctuary as well. This was just a test game cause ket wanted to see a super strength Aragorn.

NK

[Kralik]

Also you dont need to make full cycle of boromir/merry healing. You need to make the math how much times you need to pump merry and boromir, because equality is not the base.

I'd like to look into optimal math calculations as well, though I think what NK actually did worked great. Let's see... you have 4x NFFatRoD and A Light in His Mind and 4x TSC for a total of 20 wounds healed. With their starting vitality, you get 28 exerts total. Merry starts at str. 3 (though 5 would be better if he has a Hobbit sword...?)

Boro x4: Merry is 17
Merry x4 (twice x2): Companion is +34

These two should go together because the first NFFatRoD loses initiative and heals 8. So now 20 exertions to go...

Boro x16: Merry is 65
Merry x4: Companion is +130 (+174 total)

Boro x12: Merry is 53
Merry x8: Companion is +212 (+246 total)

Boro x8: Merry is 41
Merry x12: Companion is +246 (+280 total)

Boro x4: Merry is 29
Merry x16: Companion is +232 (+266 total)

Looks like a mostly balanced approach is the way to go.

EDIT: Fixed math error.

[Not a Zombie]

I'm getting that with 5 cards in hand to begin (4 being NFFatRo), you can add a total of 304 (that assumes a hobbit sword). Under ideal conditions (using only boromir till merry is at optimal str), you could add 329. Add a horn of the mark and it jumps to 312 actual, 336 ideal. Now get really fun and add Gandalf+TMaYoD plus Gandalf's staff and Narya: the total actual possible str to add is... 456 (assuming horn of the mark). Give each an ent draught (not merry): 513. Throw in that faramir who adds str and give him an Ent Draught: 567. I'll stop now

[Kralik]

I'm getting that with 5 cards in hand to begin (4 being NFFatRo), you can add a total of 304 (that assumes a hobbit sword).

How do you figure?

[Not a Zombie]

@Kralik:

Cards in hand       Action                         Merry's Str     Str added
5                         exert boro x4             17   
4                         heal boro x4   
                           exert boro x4             27   
                           use merry x2                                        58
3                         heal boro, merry x4      
                           exert boro x4             41   
                           use merry x2                                         82
2                         heal merry x4      
                           use merry x2             41                        82
1                         heal merry x4      
                           use merry x2             41                        82
                                                             Total:                   304

[NappyKorn]

@ Not a Zombie:

          Good luck trying to fit all that in a deck and making it set up in time and be reliable LOL. Aragorn actually wasn't even a thought in the deck until later when I noticed i had a rather small deck and with the way i could dump cards at will on both sides. Perhaps with the card dumping mechanics for both the freeps and shadow you could make a deck huge and use all that but then you would have to fish around for the Sam and SoGD to be able to start cycling through to set it all up. I figured 260+ strength was more than enough to overwhelm the 5 biggest minions you will face in movie block and that is even if you give the twilight for say Sauron, a Balrog, that Shelob that gets beast with things stacked on possessions and whichever other 2 monsters there are.

NK

[Not a Zombie]

@NappyKorn: agreed, 260 is more than enough

[neopium]

This essentially proves that The Shire Countryside is broken.

Of course, it allows great combos like this one or Durin's secret society of dear friends, but still, it's not the way it was intended I guess.

There is a special rule about infinite loop. Agreed, this one is not "infinite" per se, but 260 strength is clearly abusive (challenge: find me the counter part of this; a minion that can beat this Aragorn).

I think Decipher should have used used the following text:

To play, spot 2 companions. Plays to your support area. Each time you remove a burden (except by a Hobbit's game text), you may heal a companion.

The principle still applies, it's still a very good card, but it's more balanced IMHO.

[NappyKorn]

Here is the counter to the deck - Saruman's Power or anything that discards conditions.

[Not a Zombie]

This essentially proves that The Shire Countryside is broken.

...
I think Decipher should have used used the following text:

To play, spot 2 companions. Plays to your support area. Each time you remove a burden (except by a Hobbit's game text), you may heal a companion.

The principle still applies, it's still a very good card, but it's more balanced IMHO.

Even if the shire countryside was only healing companions, you could still add 150 str to a companion.

[neopium]

Ok, then allies? My April fool's joke with one day delay

[Kralik]

@Kralik:

Cards in hand       Action                         Merry's Str     Str added
5                         exert boro x4             17   
4                         heal boro x4   
                           exert boro x4             27   
                           use merry x2                                        58
3                         heal boro, merry x4      
                           exert boro x4             41   
                           use merry x2                                         82
2                         heal merry x4      
                           use merry x2             41                        82
1                         heal merry x4      
                           use merry x2             41                        82
                                                             Total:                   304

I'm counting 36 exertions but as far as I can tell you get only 28.

4 exerts each on Boromir and Merry from their Vitality 5 = 8
Healing (A Light in His Mind Once, NFFatRoD x4) = 20

Actually, I think Birthday Present + A Light In His Mind is the truly broken combo. TSC is very powerful but not in itself broken. If you had to pick only one card of the three to get rid of, I think it would have to be A Light In His Mind.

For the record I'd say the Durin's Secret deck counts as broken as well.